The Obama Administration announced on Tuesday that it is delaying implementing a key component of the Affordable Care Act for a year following complaints from the private sector about reporting requirements.

The so-called employer mandate, which penalizes employers with more than 50 employees if they fail to provide a minimum standard of affordable health insurance, was set to kick in in 2014, but now will take effect in 2015, the Treasury Department announced in a blog post first reported by Bloomberg News. The delay not only allows the Administration time to alleviate concerns among business owners, but also takes a controversial component of the law off the table before the midterm elections.

The vast majority of employers that already provide coverage to their employees raised concerns about burdensome reporting requirements under the law, a complaint the Administration is particularly sensitive to. Companies that don’t meet the law’s requirements now have an extra year to alter their policies.

“We have been in a dialogue with businesses and we think we can simplify the new reporting — we want to give businesses who want to provide health insurance the time to get this right,” a senior Administration official said, explaining the delay. “Just like our effort to turn the 21-page application for health insurance into a three-page application, we are working hard to adapt and to be flexible in employer and insurer reporting as we implement the law.”

The delay deprives the federal government of a year of penalties that would have been paid by companies that do not meet the law’s requirements, with as yet unknown budgetary effects. Republicans had warned of a downturn in hiring as a result of the mandate.

The so-called individual mandate is unaffected by the rule change. That provision requires the vast majority of Americans to purchase insurance or pay a penalty, with tax credits provided to those who can’t afford coverage.

Republican former Congressional Budget Office director Douglas Holtz-Eakin called the move “deviously brilliant,” by removing a potential electoral impediment from in front of congressional Democrats before the midterms.

“Democrats no longer face the immediate specter of running against the fallout from a heavy regulatory imposition on employers across the land,” Holtz-Eakin wrote. “Explaining away the mandate was going to be a big political lift; having the White House airbrush it from the landscape is way better.”

The Administration will publish formal guidance on the rule change within the next week.

And Obama's lost "reportedly" 9 million jobs (it's really 21 million jobs) forever, never to come back, since he's been elected.....and GWB had 9/11 and a recession and the subprime lending crisis which was caused by Democrat Andrew Cuomo.....as Clinton's HUD secretary, suing Accubank in Texas and winning $2.1 BILLION in subprime loans which started the subprime mortage crisis way back in April 1998 and those loan terms were (five years no interest, balloon after five and higher than normal interest rates after five years because a subprime loan IS A RISKY LOAN.....youtube it, HUD archives read it, CSPAN archives listen to it....go find it.....and where was GWB during the time the subprime loan crisis was created by Cuomo and Clinton? he was Governor of Texas in 1998........that was hard to cypher! You are all alike, no thinking, no responsibility, just spew what you've been told...delphi technique....no critical thinking skills whatsoever....do you know who Wentworth Cheswell was? He was a BLACK founding father, Revolutionary Soldier that rode with Paul Revere (textbooks removed my name) and cobbled together soldiers to fight the Battle at Portsmouth that helped win the Revolutionary War...also, Joseph Rainey was the first black elected speaker of the House of Representatives in, wait for it, wait for it, 1874. Have you ever heard of those two names in our history books? NO, you haven't and you don't know much either. But who needs to know real hard facts, hum?

Corrupt vermin taxocrats at it again. The 'secret' is out: obozocare is designed to wreck American health care. Expect a brutal beating at the polls in 2014, taxorats. All your dead and imaginary voters won't save you this time.

No argument for the repeal of Obamacare can top the simple fact that ... for months trying to find a way to exempt Members of Congress and their staffs from ... Favored businesses and unions got special exemptions (more than 1,200 .... The unborn will continue to be murdered in the womb at our expense ...

The individual mandate requires compliance or pay a penalty that is specified in the law starting in 2014, the IRS will enforce and collect the penalties through the annual income tax filing.

The individual mandate penalty tax assessment is as follows: you will pay the greater of the two of a flat fee or percentage of income. Years 2014, $95 or 1% of income, 2015, $325 or 2% of income, 2016 (full implementation), $695 or 2.5% of income. Children count as half an adult, families maximum penalty is the greater of three times an adults or the 2.5% of income. All penalties are capped at the lowest cost (bronze) plan on your state's health insurance exchange and after 2016 the flat fee penalties will tied to a cost of living index. There are a number exemptions including but not limited to hardship, religion, Native Americans, veterans coverage, to the incarcerated prison population.

This is what happens when a divided nation of makers and takers foolishly 'elects' an unqualified, fraud-filled, compulsive lying, racist community agitator with no business, military or medical experience and a black 'payback' mentality named Hussein Obama, who radically increased welfare, food stamps, government handouts and race baiting class warfare rhetoric for votes.

I guess the Dems do think people are stupid/ THe business have to deal with the same mess just after the Dems try to take back the House in 2014. But if the voters are smart they'll vote the Dems out of control of the Senate and bring an end to Obama legislation that has messed up the country.

Whoooa Big Fella! It is an error to note that companies will be "penalized"! Remember the Supreme Court says there are NO penalties---it is a "Tax"! Ask SC Justice Roberts---Congress does not have the power to levy penalties, but can levy taxes!

Obamacare is a bad bill, a train wreck. Logic and reason don't mean a thing to the libs. Even Gore says Ethanol does't work

but the narcissist chief is going ahead anyway. But, heaven forbid the Republicans coming up with a workable solution, they would rather just complain.Dr Ben Carson is talking a good solution. :But where is the media? Oh, you mean the sharia press?

This delay was BUSH's fault. During the last two years of his administration he did nothing to prepare the Affordable Care Act for implementation. Upon his election, Obama tried to get the ACA back on track, but the Republicans in the House sabotaged his every effort. The callously re-branded it as ObamaCare when the implementation efforts failed. Blame BUSH and the Republicans for the current problems. One last point: this is satire.

I guess the media has got his back... No worries... "I PASSED MY SIGNATURE LEGISLATION!!! HEALTH CARE IS FREE!"... Now costs are skyrocketing around the nation and companies are dropping employees healthcare plans like hot rocks and cutting employee hours... Remember "Lean Forward"... Right into the abyss...

"I AM ON YOUR SIDE BUSINESS PEOPLE! I AM THE PRESIDENT AND I AM GOING TO STRIKE DOWN THESE TERRIBLE LAWS UNTIL AFTER THE 2014 ELECTIONS! (Uhhmm... does anybody realize this is my hard earned signature legislation? Hope not...) FIRED UP AND READY TO GO!!!! FIRED UP AND READY TO GO!!! FIRED UP AND READY TO GO!!!!

Damn right brother! All these libtards need to gtfo of MURICA!!!!!!! We need bush back! Everyone knows us conservatives are the only logical thinkers in the world!!! F these liberal fktards! Liberal freaks!!!!!! They're all gay loving illegals who need to go back to Iraq!!!!!! MURICA FOR LIFE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! CONSERVATARDS UNITE!!!!!!!!!!!!

@MelWahl There were never 32 million uninsured when Obama was hawking the ACA at the townhall meetings. According to the Bureau of Stats, there were only about 16 million uninsured, and most of those were eligible for Medicaid or S-CHIP but too stupid or too lazy to apply. And another handful who could afford insurance simply didn't want to pay for it.

This is what happens when a divided nation of makers and takers foolishly 'elects' an unqualified, fraud-filled, compulsive lying, racist community agitator with no business, military or medical experience and a black 'payback' mentality named Hussein Obama, who radically increased welfare, food stamps, government handouts and race baiting class warfare rhetoric for votes. One last point: this is moronic.

@MuricanBob That is not what ric1443 said. Try to stay focused and out of progressive fantasy land for a moment. The fact that Obama has a Muslim middle name was not the issue. The fact that Obama is guilty of all of the mentioned social injustice is.

@mantisdragon91@ConstitutionLo1 Not sure what you are referring to and not interested enough to look it up. There has been a long history to erode the rule of law in this country with many hands involved. This is what happens when you grow the government too big. This is not about whose side is guiltier. If you thought it was a bad thing then, why do you defend the same thing now?

Your*. Come on brother, she's my 2nd cousin so it's ok! But seriously I can tell by your name calling you really need some time to mature. Like I said, please go to college or at least get your GED! Just because you claim you're Native American doesn't mean you can't get an education, heck it will be free for you if you're a genuine native.

@ConstitutionLo1@mantisdragon91 Perhaps before you say anything else you do need to look it up an educate yourself. Cheney and Yoo authored the greatest expansion of presidential powers in our life time. Including but not limited too wireless surveillance, signing statements and expanded war time powers. Until what they did is challenged in court and they are tried and arrested for treason, nothing else can be changed.